Official Review

Fixed Fate by Cameron Francis and Big Blind Media is a very strong card prediction effect. This trick doesn’t just fry your audience, it microwaves their brains.

You give a spectator a folded piece of paper and indicate that it is a prediction and then a blue deck of cards is removed from the card box by the performer. You ask the spectator to help you cut the deck, which she does when the performer is holding the deck. The spectator names a number between, say 5 and 20, and the cards are dealt down by the performer one at a time until that number is arrived at, thereby determining the spectator’s card. During the dealing of the cards, the faces of the cards are shown as are the blue backs of each card. The performer then continues past the selected number and arrived at card showing some more different card faces and some more blue backs thereby proving that had the thought of number been different, the arrived at card would have been different… and don’t forget that the deck was cut in front of the spectators at the outset. After the performer goes through the deck, showing the additional different faces, he places the card that was previously selected by number position face up on the table. Enter the prediction. It is a gag and not 100% necessary, but it is funny and easily evokes laughter. Watch the promotional video to see the punch line. Then, the selected card is turned over and it is the only red-backed card seen and the thought of number is written in Sharpie across the back of the card. Kapow!

There is a one-time set-up which takes about five minutes and it is simple to do. All you need is a Sharpie marker. Fixed Fate requires the deck to be dedicated to this trick only and the nature of the deck does not allow you to hand it out. The deck requires a simple advance set-up, which is easy to arrange. Although your spectator can pick any number and have a different card with every different number, you would not want to perform it twice to the same audience. This is great for table hopping and the reset takes about 10 seconds. There are no angles to be worried about.

The trick comes with a 21 minute explanatory DVD, a special deck of Bicycle cards and a PDF print out for the prediction aspect of the trick. The DVD is taught by Cameron Francis and the production quality and instruction are both excellent. Francis performs the trick to an audience known to him (as opposed to a bar encounter with strangers) with at least a faces that you may recognize.

It is virtually impossible to back track this trick and the performances get great reactions. The trick is super easy to learn and perform and does not require more than minimal practice. You just need to get a few steps memorized and you are off and running within five to ten minutes.

I would have given this effect a perfect score of 5 stars, but the ad copy is false. It states “The magician hands a blue-backed deck to a spectator.” That is false. The spectator never freely holds the cards. At one point they cut cards when the performer is holding the deck. Strike one. It then says “The spectator is asked to turn the deck face up and slowly deal down 15 cards.” False again! The performer deals the cards down and if you allow a spectator to deal the cards, you have a great risk of exposure. Strike two. The ad copy also says that the selected card is “the only card from a different deck.” While the spectators will believe that is true, it is not accurate. Strike three. It is so unnecessary to stretch the truth here. The promotional video shows an actual performance of Francis demonstrating the trick.

Notwithstanding the inexcusable false advertising, this trick is totally awesome!

Predicted Card at PREDICTED NUMBER - a self working miracle! Comes with Bicycle Deck!

The magician hands a blue-backed deck to a spectator, who is then asked to name a random number - let's say they say, 15.

The spectator is asked to turn the deck face up and slowly deal down 15 cards. Every card is clearly different and the spectator stops at the 15th card. Let's say it is the Ten Of Clubs.

The magician reiterates just how fair this was. The spectator chose a random number. The spectator dealt down to THAT number themselves and ended on a card. Both the chosen number and the chosen card were freely arrived at.

The magician shows that, had a different number been named, a different card would have been selected. So that makes it all the more impossible when the Ten Of Clubs is flipped over to reveal that it has a RED BACK! It's the only card from a different deck. However that isn't the biggest shock... that would be the huge number 15 written across the back of the card! Self-working No sleight of hand Can be a different card and number every time No gaffs, sticky stuff, rough & smooth, mathematics or memory work Resets in seconds Comes with a USPCC Bicycle Deck and full DVD instructions. Fixed Fate - you'll be blowing away your audiences in no time!